Some residents irked by no-parking plan for southside streets
More than a dozen residents living along River Bend Road and Yuma Street on Grafton’s south side voiced their concerns about not being able to park on the street outside their homes during a Tuesday meeting of the village’s Public Safety Committee.
Residents on the north side of the 1700 and 1800 blocks of River Bend Road can park on the street now, but could lose that right if the area is included in the village’s no-parking ordinance because the street is too narrow for traffic to pass safely if vehicles are parked there.
The south side of the road is in the Town of Grafton, and parking isn’t allowed there.
The north half of the road is 17 feet wide, including a four-foot bike lane. The total width of the road is 31 feet.
Director of Public Works Amber Thomas said parking on the north side would block the bike lane as well as several feet of the traffic lane, requiring drivers to cross the center line into oncoming traffic.
Thomas said the road is designated as a collector road, which means it has a higher volume of traffic than a residential street. The state requires a minimum width of 44 feet for that type of road, but that was overlooked when the road was developed in 2016.
Residents attending Tuesday’s meeting had mixed opinions about adding the street to the no-parking list. Several said it would be difficult for guests or themselves to park a block away from their house, especially during the winter. They also said it would prohibit service vehicles, such as contractors, from parking nearby.
Others argued in favor of the change, saying it is difficult to see when there are cars parked because the road has 90-degree turns and hills.
The committee voted 2-1 to recommend including the properties on the no-parking ordinance. Trustees Sue Meinecke and Dave Antoine voted in favor, and Trustee Lisa Uribe Harbeck was opposed.
The issue will be discussed at the Monday, March 18, Village Board meeting.
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